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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. present — a gift
  3. pop — music
  4. spring — a coil
  5. present — there
  6. bound — tied together
  7. present — the time now
  8. bound — obliged
  9. prune — to trim
  10. spring — the season
  11. spring — of water
  12. pop — soda
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. prune — to trim
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. craft — boats
  21. craft — a skill
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. pop — to visit
  24. bound — certain

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com